Of same place



(No Model.)

W. E. TAPT.- METHOD OF MAKING PEARL-BUTTONS.

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PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. TAFT, OF PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ANCHOR PEARL COMPANY OF PORTLAND, MAINE, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF MAKING PEARL BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,234, dated November 29, 1892. Application filed January 18. 1892. Serial No. 418,483. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, WVALTER E. TAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Working in. Pearl, Shell, or Similar Material, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

In the manufacture of buttons and other articles from pearl, shell, and similar material, the tools employed have been rapidly dulled so as to require almost constant sharpening, which greatlyincreases the cost of the Work, and it is the object of my invention to produce the said articles with greater rapidity and economy than heretofore; and to this end my invention consists in first chipping or rougheningthe surface of the blank to be turned and then cutting off the chipped surface until the desired point has been reached.

Figure 1 represents a face View of a button-blank as first cut from the shell. Fig. 2 represents a central section of the same. Fig. 3 represents the button-blank provided with a chipped or roughened surface to carry out my improvement. Fig. 4. represents the said blank with the chipped or roughened surface removed to a smooth condition. Fig. 5 represents a centrahsection of the blank shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a chipped or roughened button-blank, showing a modification. Fig. 7 represents the said blank when the chipped or roughened surface has been removed to a smooth condition on certain portions of the blank. Fig. 8 represents a central section of the blank shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 represents a top view of a milling and cutting instrument adapted to carry out my improved method.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the original blank as cut from the shell in the usual manner, and A the said blank when provided with a chipped or roughened surface as formed by the action of a looselyrevolving mill pressed firmly against the face of the rotating blank, and A represents the said blank having its chipped or roughened surface cut away to a smooth condition either by means of a stationary cutter or a revolving mill, as preferred, the preliminary chipping or roughening of the surface serving to prepare the said surface, so that the tinishiug-cut can be made at a greatly-reduced expense for tools. The face of the blank may be chipped or roughened in any desired form for making the button or other article, and the chipped or roughened surface may be either entirely smoothed away or a portion of the same may be left for the purpose of ornamentation, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, in which the annular surface a, Fig. 6, is chipped deeper than the central surface I) and the outer annular surface 0, the said chipped or roughened surfaces b and 0 being shown as smoothed away in Figs. 7 and 8, while the deeper annular surface a, being but partially cut away, serves to impart a cheaply-produced ornamental appearance to the button, and by this means a great number of ornamental effects may be produced in such articles.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to opcrate simultaneously at opposite sides of the axis of the revolving blank, a chipping or roughening mill or other suitable device being arranged for action at one side and a smoothing-cutter at the opposite side of the same, and an arrangement of. mills and cuttor for effecting this action, as shown in Fig. 9, in which B represents the shank of the instrument, which may be held in the screwspindle of a lathe, while the blank is made to revolve in a chuck attached to the live-spindle, the mills d, e, and f being adapted to revolve on the pin 9 at one side of the axis of the blank '11 by their peripheral contact with the said blank While the stationary cutter h operates to cut away and smooth the chipped or roughened higher portions of the blank by operating at the opposite side of the axis of the same, and by performing the chipping and smoothing simultaneously saving in time and expense will be effected; but the said steps may be performed disjointly in different machines, if desired.

I claim as my invention-=- 1. The method of working in pearl, shell, or similar material, which consists in first chipping or toughening the surface of the portions of the chipped or roughened surface, same and then cutting away the said chipped as set forth. or roughened surface, as set forth.

2. The method of Working in pearl, shell, FER TAFT' or similar material, which consists in first Witnesses: chipping or roughening the surface to differ- SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD, ent depths and then cutting away the higher I F. A. SMITH, Jr. 

